Railcar Maker to Hire 150 in Palmdale

Japanese light rail manufacturer Kinkisharyo International is looking to hire more than 150 employees for its Palmdale facility.

Among the positions the company is seeking to fill are manufacturing engineers, production supervisors, mechanical and electrical quality control inspectors and technicians, and master schedulers.

In April 2012, Kinkisharyo received an $891 million railcar contract from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to deliver 235 cars for use on the region’s expanding light-rail network. The first 28 cars are scheduled for delivery by the end of 2015.

Kinkisharyo is the U.S. arm of Kinki Sharyo Co. Ltd. of Osaka, and is in negotiations to lease hangar space on Site 9, a 307-acre parcel in Palmdale owned by Los Angeles World Airports, the L.A. city agency that operates Los Angeles International Airport.

The city of Palmdale and South Valley WorkSource Center are accepting the applications. Qualified applicants must have a valid passport as training will be outside of the country.